Center-plate for car-trucks.



No. @E241 Patented Nov. l2, |9ol.

J. c; BARBER. Y

CENTER PLATE F08 CAB TRUCKS.

4 (Application med mine a, 1901.)

Patented Nov. 12, 1901.'

.1. c. BARBER.

CENTER PLATE FOR CAR TRUCKS.

(Aplucation med June 3, 1901.1

2 Sh ,ets-Shee 2.

(NIJ Model.)

ilaria STATES *PATENT FFICE.

JOHN C. BARBER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLlNOIS.

` CENTER-PLATE FOR`CAR1T'BQCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 686,247, datedNovember` 12, 190i.

Application filed June 8,1901.

To mit wwnt t mrtg/concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BARBER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State'of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Center-Plates forCar-Trucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and eXact description of the invention, such as will enableothersskilled in the art to which it appert'ainsto make and use the same y Myinvention has for its object to provide an improved center-plate forcar-trucks and other uses.

To this end my invention consists of the novel devices and combinationsof devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the aecompanying drawings, wherein likenotations refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a View showing the center-plate in elevation and thebolstcrs in cross-section, with some portions broken away. Fig. 2 is aplan view ofthe bottom member ofthe centerplate detached. Fig( 3 is aview in crosssection through the center-plate and bolsters on the linec3 te of Figs. 2 and 4, with the parts in working` position; and Fig.:Il is a plan View of the top or upper member of the center-platedetached.

The bottom member of the center-plate is of such construction as toaiord-base-flanges a, by which the plate is secured to the truckbolster,shown as 'made up of I-beams l, by means of bolts 2 passing through thesaid flanges of the plate and the outer flanges of the I-loeams 1.(Shown in Fig. 2.) The bottom member of said center-plate is'also ofsuch construction as to afford a raised bearing-surface ct, of convexform, on its face. This body or bearing portion u of the lower member isprovided with a hub-seat d2, surrounding the center-pin passage, and isalso provided with a series of radial grooves or` channels a3, extendingoutward from points near 'the hub-seat u? to the junction of the raisedbody with the-flat lian ges a of the plate, thereby affordingclearing-channels, which are open at their outerend. The lower member ofthe center-plate is also provided with raised segmental. flanges u forcooperation Serial No. 62,819. (No model.)

v with the hub-seat a2 to take the buling shocks or forward and backwardstrains from the upper member ofthe two' center-plates.

The upper member ot the two center-plates is of such construction as toafford a downwardly-extended hub b for working in the hub-seat a2 of thelower member, as best shown in Fig. 3, and to afford a concave 'bearingsurface or face b for coperation with the raised or convexbearing-surface a of the lower member. The upper member is also providedwith the extended horizontal fianges b2, by which the same is bolted tothe' bodybolster 3 of the car. The upper mewmber is provided withraisedtlanges b3, adapted to receive and embrace the said body-bolster3.

When the parts are in working position, as shown in Figs. l and 3, itisobvious that the two plates are pivotally connected by their cooperatinghub and hub-seat, and in practice would also be connected to the car andto the car-bodybyacenter-pin. (Not shown.)

The forward and backward thrusts or buiing strains will be taken fromthe hub and outer edges of the upper plate onto the hubseat and theraised flanges of* of the lower plate. The raised anges a4 thereforereinforce and relieve the hub and hub-seat from a large part of thebufting strains, and thereby greatly increase the strength anddurability of the center-plate.

In view of the convex form of the bearing surface or face of the lowermember and the radial channels or grooves as provided therein it followsthat water, rust, dust, or other sediment cannot accumulate between thebearing-surfaces of the two cooperating members making up thecenter-plate. Water of course will be shed from the lower, member owingto the convex form of the bearing-snrface, and any dust, rust, dirt, orother sediment which might otherwise 'accumulato thereon will be workedout through the channels af under the swiveling movement of the twomembers with respect to each other. The radial channels insure aclearing action for the reason that said channels will catch thesediment under the swiveling movement of the two members in respect toeach other and permit said sediment to move radially outward anddownward without being clamped between the bearing-surfaces.

ICO

' or I-beam forms.

most generally employed, and have beenl shown in Figs. l and 3 ofthedrawings, These shortening the life of the center-plate in the Thisserious defect is entirely overl service. come by my invention, as abovedescribed.

As another feature of large advantage this improvedcenter-plate isbetter adapted for use on the type of truck-bolster now coming into mostgeneral use. The prevailing tendency in car-truck construction is tosubstitute metallic for wooden parts. Metallic bolsters are nowmost'generally embodied in all new rolling-stock. These metallicbolsters are usually made up of standard structural forms, such asthechannel, angle-iron, The I-beams are the form I-beams are usually so setthat their inner or facing Iianges do not meet, but stand spaced apartfrom each other throughout the central portion of the bolster or at theplace whereV the center-pin would pass through the meni- The lowermeinber of the center-plate must therefore span bers of thecenter-plate.

or bridge this opening between the I-beam anges of the truck-bolster,and when the load is'taken at the center ot the center-plate, as in theold form, breakage is likely to occur. Otherwise stated, the old form ofcenter-plate is not welladapted to this bridging action, because it isWeak and unsupported from below at the point of the greatest strain.

With my improved form of center-plate, hcreinbefore described, the bodyor main portion of the bearing-surface is radially outward of the huband the hub-seat connecting the two plates, and hence the strain istaken on parts of the lower member which directly overlie and aresupported by the 5o flanges ofthe I-beams l making up the truckbolster.This improved center-plate is therefore well adapted for use withmetallic truckbolsters made up of the standard structural forms--such asI-beams, channels, or anglebeamsunow most generally employed.

It will be understood that the construction yl'night be changed indetail without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Let- 6o ters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

l. A center-bearing plate composed of an upper and lower memberconnected for swiveling movement in respect to each other, the

upper member having a concave bearing-sun.

face, and the lower member having a convex bearing-surface, at least oneof said bearingsurfati-es having.,r radial clearing grooves, wherebywater, dust, rust or other form of materials cannot accumulate betweenthe 7o bearing-surfaces of the two plates, but will be worked off andout through said clearinggrooves, substantially as described.

2. A center-plate composed of an upper and a lower member connected forswiveling mo .rement in respect to each other, the upper member having aconcave bearing-face and the lower member having a convex bearingl'acoprovided with radial clearing-grooves,

wherctrr;water, dust, rust or other foreign 8o materials cannotaccumulate between the bearing-surfaces of the two plates but will beworked oil? and out through said clearinggrooves, substantially asdescribed.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. BARBER. lVitnesses:

JAS. F. WILLIAMSON, F. D. MERCHANT.

